Kyiv comes under large-scale Russian drone and missile attack with explosions heard throughout city

Kyiv comes under large-scale Russian drone and missile attack with explosions heard throughout city

Kyiv, Ukraine's capital, was subjected to a large-scale combined drone and missile attack late Friday, with explosions and machine gun fire heard throughout the city. The attack occurred hours after Russia and Ukraine initiated a significant prisoner exchange, marking a rare moment of cooperation in the ongoing conflict [1][2].

The nighttime assault, which stretched into early Saturday, saw debris from intercepted missiles and drones fall in at least four city districts. Acting head of Kyiv military administration, Tymur Tkachenko, reported that six people required medical care, with two fires sparked in the Solomianskyi district [1][2]. Prior to the attack, city mayor Vitalii Klitschko warned residents of more than 20 Russian strike drones heading towards Kyiv [1][2].

The prisoner swap, the first phase of a complex exchange involving prisoners and civilians, saw 390 Ukrainians brought home, with further releases expected over the weekend. Russia's Defense Ministry confirmed receiving the same number from Ukraine. However, the exchange did not signal a halt in the fighting, with battles continuing along the roughly 1,000-kilometer front line [1][2].

This attack comes less than two days after the first direct peace talks between Russian and Ukrainian officials in more than three years. The talks in Istanbul, which lasted less than two hours, resulted in an agreement to trade 1,000 prisoners of war on each side [3]. Despite the peace efforts, Russia has stepped up its strikes, including a drone attack on Sunday that killed a 28-year-old woman in the Kyiv region and injured at least three people, including a 4-year-old child [3].

The sustained overnight drone attack on Sunday killed a 28-year-old woman in the capital region and injured at least three people, including a 4-year-old child, Ukrainian authorities said. Russia launched 273 drones by 8 am local time, targeting chiefly the central Kyiv region and the Dnipropetrovsk and Donetsk regions in the country's east [3].

The conflict has resulted in thousands of casualties, with the vast majority being Ukrainian. Both sides deny targeting civilians, but the ongoing attacks and exchanges of prisoners have not led to a ceasefire [1][2][3].

References:
[1] https://www.kob.com/news/us-and-world-news/kyiv-comes-under-large-scale-russian-drone-and-missile-attack-with-explosions-heard-throughout-city/
[2] https://www.kktv.com/2025/05/24/kyiv-comes-under-massive-russian-drone-missile-attack-explosions-heard-throughout-city/
[3] https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/russia-launches-largest-drone-attack-since-war-began/9xofo45et